Means for measuring yarns



Jan. 19, 1937. s M, FULTON 2,068,014

MEANS FOR MEASURING YARNS Filed Oct. 23, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 STEPHEN M FULTON m: cm

' Jan. 19, 1937. s. M.FULTON 14,

MEANS FOR MEASURING .YARNS.

Filed oct'. 22 1934 2 Shets-Sheet 2 0K Mq css Patented Jan. 19, 1937 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR RIEASURJNG YARNS Application October 23, 1934, Serial No. 749,567 In Great Britain November 7, 1933 5 Claims. (01. 33-136) This invention relates to apparatus in which yarns and like materials are unwound from bobbins or like packages, and provides a means of measuring the amount of. yarn unwound or of enabling a predetermined amount of yarn to be wound on to another package.

It is often of advantage to be able to measure the amount of yarn being unwound from bobbins and like packages, e. g. cheeses or spools, and-also to be able to wind from such packages a predetermined amount of yarn. In the production of weft pirns for weaving, for example, it is of great importance with a view to enabling them to be used on a loom fitted with a weft measuring stop motion, to be able to ensure that each pirn shall contain within small limits the same amount of yarn.

The present invention comprises a measuring apparatus adapted to be used in operations in which yarn is unwound from a bobbin or like package having a substantially constant amount of yarn in each layer, the measuring apparatus being operated by a guide through which the yarn is caused topass as it leaves the bobbin. The yarn traverses the guide and so drives the measuring apparatus until after a predetermined number of traverses the apparatus causes unwinding to cease. Thus, in a pirn winding machine in which the spindle draws the yarn from the supply bobbin, the measuring apparatus may operate to stop the pirn winder after the yarn has made the desired number of traverses.

Conveniently the traversing guide is mounted on a lever so disposed with respect to the supply bobbin that the guide can move from end to end of the bobbin, and the lever drives by pawl and ratchet mechanism means which after being rotated thereby through a certain distance stop the unwinding of the yarn.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which Figs. 1 and 2 are front and side elevations of the measuring device shown mounted on a; pirn winding head;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view in perspective of part of the device showing its connection with stop mechanism of the winding head, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the device mounted on the winding head of a standard pirn-winding machine, certain elements of the device being omitted for the sake of clarity.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a parallel wound' slow traverse bobbin H! (e. g. a cap-wound bobbin) is shown carried by supports yam l2 being led from the package through a slotted guide |3 over a guide l4 and down to the pimwinding spindle l5 to be traversed in the usual way. The slotted guide I3 is carried by an arm l6 pivoted at I! so that as the slowly traversed yarn unwinds from the package l the guide l3 swings over the length of the package as indicated in dotted lines.

Two pawls |8, |9 carried by the arm I above and below the pivot engage a ratchet wheel 20 secured to a spindle 2| mounted in a bearing 22 on a supporting bracket 23. A'gear 24 on the forward end of the spindle 2| meshes with a gear 25 on a spindle 26 to which is secured a disc 21 having a notch 28 in its periphery with one edge substantially radial and the other edge 29 inclined. A lever 3|] pivoted at 3| carries a proiection 32 adapted to rest on the'periphery of the disc 21. The lever 30 is provided at one end with a weight 33 and at the other end 34 is secured thereto a stiff wire 35 depending downwardly.

As the guide arm I6 rocks to and fro due to the unwinding of the yarn from the bobbin Hi, the ratchet wheel is driven in one direction by the pawls l8, IS, the leverage of the arm I6 allowing the slightly tensioned thread to over- 7 come the resistance of the wheel 20 and the mechanism geared to it. The driving rate of the ratchet wheel together with the gear ratio of the gears 23, 25 are such as to efiect one revolution of the disc 21 when there has been unwound from the bobbin it an amount of yarn suflicient to complete one pirn, it being understood that the number of traverses of the guide |3 is proportional to the length of yarn unwound from the bobbin, since the same amount of yarn is wound in each layer on the bobbin.

After one revolution of the disc 21, the projection 32 falls into the notch 28. to allow the lever to rock and bring the downwardly depending wire behind an abutment 36 on the usual traverse spindle 31 of the pirn winding mechanism. On the next rearward motion of the traverse spindle 31, the abutment 36 presses the wire 35 against the projecting member 38 carried by the arm 39 and causes the arm to rock about its pivot 40, thus withdrawing the latch 4| from engagement with a lever 42 secured to the rod 43 of the usual starting and stopping lever. In this way, the starting and stopping lever rod is released to throw out a clutch by means of the usual mechanism inside the gear box-44, thus" bringing winding to an end. The clutch and clutch operating mechanism are of the type employed in the well-known "Leesona" winding machine made by the Universal Winding Company of Boston, Mass. When the winding has stopped, the completed pirn is removed from spindle l5.

On recommencement o! the winding operation a new pirn tube is fitted on the spindle I5 and the traverse mechanism 46 is re-set at a point near the. gear box end of the traverse spindle 31, i. e. at

the base of the new pirn tube, where winding of the yarn l2 recommences.

The starting rod 43 is then rotatedby hand to the on position to re-eng'age the driving clutch in the gear box 44 with the winding spindle IS. The rotation of the starting rod 43 brings the lever 42 again into position to be engaged by the latch 4|, the arm 39 being re-set about its pivot to effect suchengagement and to bring the projecting member 38 again into operative position.

To prevent tripping of the stop mechanism at the commencement of winding of the new pirn, i. e. before the projection 32 has ridden up the incline 29 of the notch 28 on to the periphery of the disc 21, a wire 45 carried by the traverse mechanism 45 interposes itself between the wire 35 and the abutment 35 when the traverse mechanism is re-set near the gear box 44. As winding proceeds the traverse mechanism gradually moves from the base towards the tip of the pirn and carries with it the wire 45, the withdrawal of the wire 45 allowing the wire 35 to move to operative position behind the abutment 36 when again released by the disc 21. The presence or -the wire 45'at the base of the pirn tube at the commencement of the winding operation holds wire 35 to the right of the traverse spindle 31 and thus assists the projection 32 to mount the slowly moving incline 29.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for effecting the unwinding of a predetermined amountoi yarn from bobbins and like packages having a substantially constant.

amount of yarnin each layer, said apparatus comprising means for unwinding-yarn from such a package, a guide free to move lengthwise oi. the packageand adapted to be engaged and moved by the unwinding yarn, a member-adapted to stop I the yam-unwinding means, and means driven by the movable guidevand adapted to operate the stop member after a predetermined number of movements of the guide lengthwise of the package.

2. Apparatus according to'claim 1, comprising a ratchet wheel,-'pawl means on the movable guide adapted to engage and rotate said ratchet wheel, a notched disc in driving connection with the ratchet wheel, a projection on the stop-member adapted to engage the periphery of the notched disc, and means adapted to cause the projection to enter the notch during the rotation of the disc and allow the stop-member to operate.

3. Pirn-winding apparatus comprising a winding spindle, a member adapted to effect stoppage oi the rotation oi! said spindle, yarn traversing means, an abutment on the traversing means, a support for a bobbin or like package having a substantially constant amount of yarn on each layer, a guide tree to move lengthwise of the package and adapted to be engaged and moved by yarn drawn from the package'by the rotation of the pirn-winding spindle, a stop-member movable to a position behind the abutment on the traversing means, means controlled by the movable guide to move the stop-member' behind the abutment after a predetermined number of movements of the guide lengthwise oi. the package, and means against which the stop-member is pressed by the abutment to eflect operation or the member effecting stopping of the pirn-winding spindle.

4. Pirn-winding apparatus according to claim '3, comprising a notched disc, driving means conv j positioned so as to prevent the stop-member passing behind the abutment at the commencement of the pirn-winding. operation.

- j STEPHENMIILEREUL'ION. 

